Card index cabinet



June 4, 1940. F. LINK CARD INDEX CABINET 2 SheQtS Sheet 1 Filed May 18, 1938 t 3 a y i n H I I I(Il||.|-|.i|:|| WM J \x I I IH I I 1m I WW W INVENT OR. NIT.

ATTORNEYS.

F. LINK CARD INDEX CABINET June 4, 1940.

. Filed lay 18, 1938 2 Sheets-:Sheet 2 Z4- INVENTOR. f'akssr LIN/r.

ATTORNEYs.

Patented June 4, 1940 PATENT OFFlCE CARD INDEX CABINET Forest Link, Silverton, Ohio, assignor to The Globe-Wernicke Company, Norwood, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application May 18, 1938, Serial No. 208,639

4 Claims.

This invention relates to card index cabinets which are usually small cabinets provided with drawers, the drawers being of the size adapted to take for example 3x5" or 4x6 or x'8""cards.

5 Cabinets of this type are usually of the single drawer or double drawer type, the drawers in the case of the double drawer type being side by side. Ordinarily, if it is desired to provide a greater number of cabinets, it is only necessary to provide more units of one or the other type and stack the units on top of each other or place them side by side.

The drawers of such cabinets are usually provided with a follower member which is adjustable '15 longitudinally of the drawer so that the drawer space may be varied in accordance with the number of cards it is desired to accommodate. It is an object of my invention to provide a novel follower device which will be simple, inexpensive in construction, and which will adequately serve its purposes.

This and other objects of my invention which will be pointed out in more detail hereinafter, or which will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading these specifications, I accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement of parts of which I shall now describe an exemplary embodiment. Reference is now made to the drawings which form a part hereof and in which:

Figure l is a vertical longitudinal cross section of a case and drawer taken on line I--l of Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same with parts removed to show inner construction.

5 Fig. 3' is a front elevation of the same.

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the parts going to make up the case.

40 Fig. 6 is a perspective rear view of the follower.

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of a case of the double drawer type.

Fig. B'is the cross sectional view of the same taken on line 38 of Fig. 7.

45 Fig. 9 is a detailed cross sectional view taken ventional construction but which is provided with a novel follower which is easily adjustable longitudinally of the drawer. The follower likewise is of very simple construction employing only three parts. 5

As will also be pointed out hereinafter, the construction is further simplified by making the track members for the drawer integral with one of the members which forms the case. p

The case or housing as has been discussed 1'0 above, has been made from two pieces of sheet metal. One of these which is shown. in perspective in Fig. 5, comprises a portion Ill which forms the bottom of the case. A portion H is bent up at right angles to form the rear wall of the case. An upwardly inturned flange I2 is formed at the opposite end of the portion II to form a portion of the front of the case. Longitudinal portions on each side of the portion ID are bent upwardly as indicated at [3 and then outwardly as at M to provide drawer tracks and upwardly again as at 15. U-shaped slots are formed at opposite ends as indicated at l6 so that tab portions 11 may be bent downwardly for stacking purposes as will be described hereinafter.

The remainder of the, case or housing is formed from another piece of sheet metal which has a portion l8 forming the top of the case and portions is forming the two side walls of the case. The portion 18 and theportions'lB are provided '3 with flange members 20 and 2| respectively, these flanges being spot-welded behind the portion H. The two side wall members l9 are provided along the bottomedges with flange elements 22 which are turned under and spot-welded to the bottom portion Ill. The two side wall members 19 at their front edges have inturned channel elements 23 to correspond with the portions l2 on the member Ii) and the top portion I8 is provided with a downwardly and inwardly extending element 24 to correspond to the elements l2 and 23.

It will be understood, of course, that the channels I2, 23 and 24 will have edges so as to meet at the four corners where they may be spotwelded together or otherwise fastened as desired. 5

It will be noted that slots 25 and 26 are provided in the top member l8 in a position to cooperate with the downwardly turned tabs ll of another case for stacking purposes.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a case or housing for a card index drawer which is rigid and is provided with stacking means and which requires simply a few spot-welds and which is made of only two pieces and is provided with inte ral drawer track elements.

Referring to Figures '7, 8, and 9, if a double drawer case is desired, the only modification necessary in addition to providing for double width, is the provision of a dividing element 21 which is preferably of channel shape and of such width to harmonize with the front channels I2, 23 and 24. Furthermore, a center track element shown in detail in Figure 9 must be spot-welded to the bottom of the case. This element preferably has an attaching portion 23, upwardly extending portions 29, inwardly extending ledg s 30 disposed at a height equal to; the ledges l4 and upwardly extending elements 3|. Holes 32 are provided in the bottom member II] to the end that feet members 33 may be attached if desired. Such feet members will, of course, only be used on the bottom case of a stack.

The drawer generally speaking is of conventional construction and comprises a front portion 34 preferably provided with a frame and a pull element generally indicated at 35, a bottom portion 36 and side portions 31. It is not necessary that the drawer have a back wall and I prefer to provide instead of a back wall, a U- shaped member 38 spot-welded. to the two side walls 31 so that the horizontal portion of the member 38 is higher than the front portion 34. The member 38 serves two functions: (a) when the drawer is considerably extended, it limits the tipping of the drawer by abutting against the top portion I8, and (b) it cooperates with the channel 24 to provide a limitation stop for drawer extension. The side wall members 31 are preferably provided with inwardly extending channel portions 39 which have a stiffening effect, and provide grooves 39a, the purpose of which will be pointed out hereinafter. It will be noted that by virtue of the novel follower now to be described, I am enabled to provide a flat bottom drawer, and eliminate the conventional longitudinal bottom groove and rod.

The follower member is shown in detail in Figure 6. Generally speaking, it comprises a plate number 46 having lateral outwardly extending arms 4|. These arms are of a width and are so interspaced as to ride beneath the channel portions 39 of the side walls 3'! of the drawer in the grooves 39a, as best seen in Figure 4. The members 4! thus cooperate with the portions 39 to guide the member 40 and hold it in proper alignment. The locking element is formed from an inverted more or less V-shaped piece of metal indicated at 42. A substantially T-shaped pair of tabs are bent back horizontally from the plate 40 as indicated at 43 and the member 42 is provided with a pair of T-shaped slots 44. The members 42 and 40 may thus be connected by what might be termed a bayonet slot construction in that the tabs 43 are introduced into the wide portions of the slots 44 and the member 42 is then slid downwardly so that the narrow portions-of the slots 44 coact with the narrow portions of the tabs 43 to lock the two pieces together. The member 42 is bent about a substantially horizontal line as best seen in Figure 1, the line of bend passing approximately through the end of the T slots 44. Bosses 45 are pressed into the members 40 and 42 substantially opposite each other at the apex of the member 42 and provide locating elements for a small coil spring 46 which serves to urge the member 42 in a clock-wise direction as seen in Figure 1. It will be noted that the portions 4! are slightly wider than the grooves 39a, so that as they approach a vertical position under action of the spring 46, they wedge in said grooves and lock the follower in position. By compressing the spring 46, however, the portions are inclined, and thereby unlocked from wedging engagement with the grooves 39a, whereby the follower member is released and may be adjusted longitudinally of the drawer. If desired, a thumb grip 48 may be formed centrally at the top of the member 40. g

It will thus be noted that the-follower member comprises only two pieces of sheet metal and a small piece of coil spring. These pieces are easily put together and just as easily taken apart and except for the spring member, the entire job may be performed by simple punch pressing operations.

It will be understood that modification may be made in my invention without departing from the spirit thereof, and I, therefore, do not intend to limit myself in any way other than that pointed out in the claims which follow.

Having now fully described my invention, wha

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A follower for a card index drawer having grooves in the side walls thereof, said follower comprising a plate provided with portions disposed for sliding movement in said grooves and a wedging member pivoted to the rear wall of said plate, said wedging member extending away from said plate above and below said pivot, the lower limb of said wedging. member having portions slightly wider than said grooves so as to wedge in the grooves of the drawer when said lower limb is pivoted toward said plate, and yieldable means urging said wedging member to pivot in the aforesaid direction.

2. A follower for a card index drawer having grooves in its: side walls, said follower comprising a plate having portions disposed for slidable movement in said grooves and a wedging element comprising upper and lower limbs, angularly disposed with respect to each other, and pivoted to said plate along the apex of said angle, the lower limb of said wedging member having portions slightly wider than said grooves so as to wedge in the grooves of the drawer when said lower limb is. pivoted toward said plate, and resilient means tending to urge said wedging element to pivot in the aforesaid direction.

3. A follower for a card index drawer having grooves in its side walls, said follower comprising a plate having portions disposed for sliding movement in said grooves and a substantially V-shaped wedging member disposed in inverted position, the arms of said V being bent at a slight angle about a horizontal line passing through said arms substantially centrally thereof, means for pivoting said wedging member to said plate along the line of said bend, the arms of said V having portions slightly wider than said grooves so as to wedge in the, grooves of the drawer when the lower portion of said member is pivoted toward the plate, and resilient means interposed between said plate and the apex of said V, tending to urge said V to pivot in the aforesaid direction.

4. A follower for a card index drawer having grooves in its side walls, said follower comprising a plate having portions disposed for sliding movement in said grooves and a substantially V-shaped wedging member disposed in inverted position, the arms of said V being bent at a [slight angle about a horizontal line passing through said arms substantially centrally thereof, means for pivoting said wedging member to said plate along the line of said bend, the arms of said V having portions slightly wider than said grooves so as to wedge in the grooves of the drawer when the lower portion of said member is pivoted toward the plate, and resilient means interposed between said plate and the apex of said V tending to urge said V to pivot in the aforesaid direction, said pivoting means including T-shaped elements cut from said plate and bent out at right angles to said plate and substantially T-shaped openings in the arms of said V disposed in inverted position with the bases of the Ts being disposed on the line of said bend whereby said follower may be readily assembled and dissembled.

FOREST LINK. 

